Kenwood TS-590S less than a year old and infrequently used. No digital or cw operations. Have only used voice at 100 watts for a few contests this year.

Internal meter shows full power out (realizing that it is an average reading). On SSB voice about 50 watts average. Power out for FM, AM, and CW are showing 100, 25, 100 respectively.

I connected it to an external Daiwa cross-needle meter set for PEP 150W.When speaking normally, forward power needle displays 15 to 20 watts SSB at the peak. If I whistle very slightly into it, forward power needle jumps without labor to 100 watts. When I check just a carrier for FM and AM, and a CW tone, power same as internal meter.

I'm concerned about the forward SSB voice power being up to only 20 watts. I connected my Icom 718 to the same system. Forward power on the Daiwa for the IC-718 read 80 watts peak SSB.

I've conducted a full CPU reset to all default settings. I've used the stock hand mike and a Heil headset. I've adjusted mike gain to appropriate ALC settings. I'm not using any transmit audio equalizer settings.

I can't figure out why a slight whistle on SSB gives 100 watts while my voice only genrates 20 watts on the Kenwood compaired to the Icom's 80 watts? With all else being equal, the meter readings for both should be similar right? Has anyone else experienced the similar situation?

Upgraded to firmware 1.07 dated September 2012 had no effect on output power. It did however cause problems with trying to adjust for ALC. With the processor off and the mike gain all the way down to 10, the ALC meter jumps off the scale and I can't seem to get it under control even with the stock mike.

I'll send a message to Kenwood, but I'm still interested if any other 590S owners have experienced similar issues.

What micrphone type are you using on the Kenwood and on the Icom? I had a Kenwood 570 that I used an mc 60 on and then used an Alinco mic that had an electet element. The Alinco mic worked a lot better and drove the radio better especially on AM. Nobody could hear me with the mc 60 but when I put on the Alinco it was night and day difference. The mic gain and menu setiings were the same w/ both.

I'm concerned about the forward SSB voice power being up to only 20 watts. I connected my Icom 718 to the same system. Forward power on the Daiwa for the IC-718 read 80 watts peak SSB.

I've conducted a full CPU reset to all default settings. I've used the stock hand mike and a Heil headset. I've adjusted mike gain to appropriate ALC settings. I'm not using any transmit audio equalizer settings.

I can't figure out why a slight whistle on SSB gives 100 watts while my voice only genrates 20 watts on the Kenwood compaired to the Icom's 80 watts? With all else being equal, the meter readings for both should be similar right? Has anyone else experienced the similar situation?

There is nothing wrong with rig but rather its operation. You do not have the rig properly configured for your voice. And from looks of things you are not using any compression either. A PEP meter is not absolute device and it is limited by response time of meter an the decay time of circuit used to measure PEP. Only a scope can true and monitor PEP levels with certainty. If you tailor the audio level and equalizer to your voice you will see a increase of average PEP and also Kenwood tends to be very conservative with suggested ALC levels. You can drive them a lot higher in SSB without concern . One more thing, using compression will also increase averge output power and result in a much higher average PEP reading too.

Logged

--------------------------------------Ham since 1969.... Old School 20wpm REAL Extra Class..

Whistling into a microphone doesn't do anything for your transmitted signal unless you live in some of the more remote areas in the Canary Islands. Use your voice and make the necessary adjustments with mike gain/ALC and compression. Monitor things with an o'scope or (ideally) a spectrum analyzer.

I have run the 590 for about 4 months now, I will say that it doesn't seem to wiggle an average reading meter as much as the FT1000MP I had before( that line of Yaesu's had a fantastic RF clipping system, a real meat grinder but tons of punch ) but the Kenwoods audio is cleaner, crisper but you gotta run the alc on the meter at almost full scale. I think from the original setting they came out with the radio the more recent versions of firmware might address this but the metering is still set around the original firmware, also you can drive a little harder on the comp settings. Try to use another radio and run the 590 into a dummy load so you can get an even better idea of what you sound like. Try setting the TX audio as well, I use H62 and run it with a Heil PR781 mic, the radio's meter will show around 75W peak on a good ohlaaa. My PEP meter is nothing fancy cause it is built into a new recent antenna tuner purchase which is a MFJ989D but when compared to a PEP Bird that a buddy let me check it against the PEP readings were off maybe 6% and I get around 110 on peaks(100 average, none pep reading). Not to say anything about the Diawa meters but 10 years back when I was involved with a local ham radio mfg the Diawa's sucked on reading anything proper. Another good meter that I have owned that did real well next to the old standard was the Autek Research WM-1, the PEP was very close the Bird meter. BTW even with all the mods I had done on my FT1KMP with inrad roofing filter and 2.1KC filters in the IF's the 590 takes allot more rf abuse during a contest on receive and you can tighten up the dsp Hi/Low shift real well when the bands get packed. I strongly feel that either the TT Orion's,K3 or FTDX5K would be the few that would do slightly better over a contest weekend, at least on SSB.Jim

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